Veterans Alvin Thompson, left, and Gary Hadsall take a moment to tell stories while visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
Richard Stout smiles at fellow veterans loading onto a Sun Country Airlines flight chartered for the 47th Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities in Moline, Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
A flight of 98 veterans and 67 guardians, organizers and other guests sit on board of Sun Country Airlines flight 8651 en route to Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
United States Air Force soldiers salute as the first bus of Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities veterans departs from Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
A folded American flag rests in a wheelchair in honor of a veteran who died shortly before the trip to Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Veterans of the 47th Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities trip posed with the flag before the Lincoln Memorial as their first order of business upon arriving at the National Mall.
Andy Abeyta
A lone flower rests against the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
Vietnam veteran Niel Rissler reaches out to touch the engraved name of a friend he grew up with in Davenport, Daniel Wisely, while visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Washington D.C.
FILE PHOTO
Vietnam veteran Steven Round holds his hand over his mouth while looking at the names of Don Fletcher, Steve Klein and Steve Inboden on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019. The men were in Round’s platoon and were among those killed in a helicopter crash. “I was on R&R that day or I’d have probably gone with ‘em,” Round recalled as he looked at the names.
Andy Abeyta
Veteran James Raley shakes hands with an 8th grade student from Concordia Lutheran School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
Veterans ask questions and talk with off-duty sentinel Sgt. Matthew Koeppel of Buffalo, New York, on the grounds of the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
Veteran Gary Hadsall walks towards the busses after visiting the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
Veteran Alvin Thompson looks over letters from his children and grandchildren with guardian Nancy DeWeerdt aboard Sun Country Airlines flight 8652 returning to Moline from Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Andy Abeyta
A fellow veteran reaches out to shake hands and welcome home an Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities veteran at the Quad-City International Airport in Moline on April 25.
Two weeks ago a director of Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities, Dave "Woody" Woods, dismissed veterans from a meeting at American Legion Post 26 in Davenport, and waited until only guardians remained.
He explained how for many of the 98 veterans taking the organization’s 47th flight, this could be the first time they feel comfortable openly talking about their time serving our country.
Woods was correct.
Walking along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dozens of veterans from the flight were focused on the wall either in groups or on their own. Many looked for specific names, some appeared overcome by the scale of the more than 58,000 names and a few walked along straightening flowers and cards left before the wall, ensuring the memorial would remain in good order.
Sitting in his wheelchair in front of panel 9 West of the memorial Steven Round of Maquoketa softly repeated the names of the men he could remember who were among the first of his platoon to be killed after their helicopter crashed on June 30, 1970.
“There,” Round pointed up at line 106 where he found the first of three names. He rose from his wheelchair to feel the engraving of the names in the granite.
Donnith Howard Fletcher of West Hollywood, Florida; Steve Lee Inboden of Springerton, Illinois; and Stephen Louis Klein of Seattle, Washington.
“I was on R&R that day or I’d have probably gone with ‘em,” the former Army combat medic recalled.
Standing nearby, Woods assured him there was nothing he could have done. Round nodded in acceptance having returned to his wheelchair and sat for a moment before returning to the tour bus.
The men had a full day. They toured the Udvar-Hazy Center, drove past the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, visited the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Air Force Memorial and witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
As they departed and arrived at Quad-City International Airport and Dulles International Airport, the men were greeted by hundreds of service members, school children and citizens from various backgrounds. At most stops during the day veterans would encounter school children on their own tour groups who would make a point to shake their hands, and thank them for their service.
“I like what I see here with all these young people,” Merrill ‘Budd’ Mohr of Sterling, Illinois said with a smile after a pair of eight grade girls from Concordia Lutheran School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, stopped to talk with him.
“I wish more people would come here,” he stated. “They’d love their country better.”
PHOTOS: Honor Flight #47
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Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities
According to its website, Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities formed in 2008 with the purpose of flying America's veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring their sacrifices.
Veterans Alvin Thompson, left, and Gary Hadsall take a moment to tell stories while visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Richard Stout smiles at fellow veterans loading onto a Sun Country Airlines flight chartered for the 47th Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities in Moline, Thursday, April 25, 2019.
A flight of 98 veterans and 67 guardians, organizers and other guests sit on board of Sun Country Airlines flight 8651 en route to Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
United States Air Force soldiers salute as the first bus of Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities veterans departs from Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
A folded American flag rests in a wheelchair in honor of a veteran who died shortly before the trip to Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Veterans of the 47th Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities trip posed with the flag before the Lincoln Memorial as their first order of business upon arriving at the National Mall.
Vietnam veteran Niel Rissler reaches out to touch the engraved name of a friend he grew up with in Davenport, Daniel Wisely, while visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Washington D.C.
Vietnam veteran Steven Round holds his hand over his mouth while looking at the names of Don Fletcher, Steve Klein and Steve Inboden on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019. The men were in Round’s platoon and were among those killed in a helicopter crash. “I was on R&R that day or I’d have probably gone with ‘em,” Round recalled as he looked at the names.
Veteran James Raley shakes hands with an 8th grade student from Concordia Lutheran School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Veterans ask questions and talk with off-duty sentinel Sgt. Matthew Koeppel of Buffalo, New York, on the grounds of the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
Veteran Alvin Thompson looks over letters from his children and grandchildren with guardian Nancy DeWeerdt aboard Sun Country Airlines flight 8652 returning to Moline from Washington D.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019.
A fellow veteran reaches out to shake hands and welcome home an Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities veteran at the Quad-City International Airport in Moline on April 25.